The crime of Eric Garner was 'selling cigerettes'
Just blatant police abuse in this case. This one's on video so there's no doubt at all. Garner has his hands up and has clearly surrendered - but the cop just slams him into the pavement then uses an illegal choke-hold around his neck until he chokes to death. The choke-hold was illegal according to the very rules of the New York PD.
Wikipedia:
On July 17, 2014, in Staten Island, New York, United States, Eric Garner died of a heart-attack after being placed in a choke-hold by an officer, a tactic banned by the Police Department.[3][4]
The jury haven't indicted here either. Remember, Garner was just an ordinary guy going about his business...his crime was 'selling cigerettes'.
America is turning into a rather unpleasant police state I'm sorry to say.
the problem was that he was selling cigarettes without paying for the appropriate taxes on those cigarettes. that is still a crime, although it has yet to be put on the list of crimes for which death is a penalty
edited to add: the reason they questioned him was because he had broken up a fight, not because he was selling loose cigarettes. but they knew him from selling loose cigarettes in previous run-ins. it still does not justify the way they treated him, and certainly he should not be dead because of it.
"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman